Description
The Star Bonifacio 30PK isn’t just another 9mm from a bygone era. It’s a snapshot of a fascinating moment in firearm development, when companies across the globe were scrambling to define the future of the “Wondernine.” Born from Star’s earlier Model 28, this double-action design first appeared in 1978, part of the company’s push to keep pace with modern trends and military demands.
The 30PK you see here represents the refinement of that effort. By 1981, Star had taken lessons from field trials and tightened the design into something sleeker and more efficient. Then, in 1986, this very pistol—serial number 1787379C—found its way into Colt’s hands during a quiet internal evaluation. Colt reportedly bought about twenty of these from Star, testing them behind closed doors to see if the Spanish design might be worth adapting for their own lineup. In the end, they decided not to move forward, but instead of scrapping the test batch, Colt sold the guns directly to employees. And that’s how this particular 30PK slipped from a corporate experiment into collector history.
It’s more than just a well-built sidearm. It’s a piece of a story that might have gone another way. You can still see the precision of Star’s Spanish engineering, the solid feel of the frame, and the forward-thinking ergonomics that foreshadowed what the 1980s would bring to sidearm design.
Interestingly, a sibling to this very pistol—just two serial numbers apart—was featured on Forgotten Weapons. That small connection adds an extra layer of authenticity for those who love tracing the winding threads of firearm evolution.
For collectors, the Star 30PK isn’t just an artifact. It’s a tangible “what if” from the era when design, ambition, and timing all met in steel.
A similar Star Bonifacio 30PK was featured on Forgotten Weapons.
